Antispreading device for railway-tracks.



1. T. STOVALL.

ANTISPREADING DEVICE FOR RAILWAY TRACKS.

APPLICATION FILED 05c. 21. 1918.

1,299,807. Patented Apr. 8,1919. I J Z z JOHN T. s'rovALt, or SHAMROCK, TEXAS.

ANTISPREADING. DEVICE FOR RAILWAY-TRACKS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN T. STovALL, a citizen ofthe United States, residing at Shamrock, in the county of Wheeler and State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Antispreading Devices for Railway-T racks, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to railroad track, and particularly to means for preventing the railsof a track from spreading.

The general object of the invention is to provide a very simple device which may be used to connect the ends of two parallel rails to the connecting member or bolt of the next adjacent pair of rails, to thus prevent spreading of the rails at the joints.

A further object is to provide a connecting bolt of a peculiar form and a brace bar which may be used either singly or in pairs and which is adapted for detachable en- 53% engaged, will prevent the ends of adjacent rails from spreading.

Other objects will appear in the course of the following description.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a top plan view of a track section at the rail joint, with my device applied thereto;

Fig. 2 is a top plan View showing another manner of applying the device;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary top plan the middle portion of the brace bar;

Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 5 is an end view of the brace bar.

My device for the purpose before stated comprises a cross bolt 10. This bolt is threaded at its end or ends for the reception of a nut or nuts and is adapted to connect the adjacent ends of two parallel rails. The bolt 10 inward of its screw-threaded extremity is elliptical in cross section, as at 11, but the middle of the bolt for a distance of about .6 inches is cylindrical in cross section as at 12. The diameter of this cylindrical portion 12 is equal to the greatest width of the elliptical portions 11. In actual practice the major axis of the oval portion 11 will be 11* and the cylindrical view of Specification of Letters Patent.

ement with the bolt and which, when so in opposite directions.

Patented Apr. 8, 1919;

Application filed December 21, 1918. Serial No. 267,840.

portion 12 will havea diameter of- 1%. At its middle the cylindrical portion 12 is formed with a shoulder 13, this shoulder-be ing in actual practice about 1" deep and wide. I

Coacting with the bolt 10 is one or a pair of brace bars 14. Each brace bar is screwthreaded at one end, as at 15 and at its opposite end is angularly bent as at16 and formed with a head 17, Extending through this head is an'aperture 18,11 in diameter and the head is formed with a slot 19 which extends into or intersects this aperture 18,

this slot 19 having a width equal to the a minor axis of the elliptical portions 11 of the bolt 10.

In the use of this invention, the bolt 10 is disposed to connect the adjacent ends of two rails A as in Fig. 1, this bolt passing through the fish plates 60 and taking the place of the ordinary bolt which holds the fish plates in engagement with the rails A.

In Fig. 2, two bars 1 1 are shown'eaohof which has 1ts screw-threaded end pass through the fish plate a and through the rail B and these bars extend toward and across each other with their apertured heads 17 engaged in each side of the shoulder 13. In order that the curved ends of the bars 14 may pass each other, these curved ends are preferably deflected out of alinement with the straight portions of the bars in the manner shown in Fig. 5. It will be seen that by this mechanism the ends of the rails B will be held in alinement with the rails A against any spreading relative to the rails A or relative to each other, inasmuch as the bars 14 connect the ends of the rails B with the bolt 10 which connects the ends of the rails A. Thus the rails A and B cannot get out of alinement with each other nor can either of the rails A or B spread with relation to each other.

In Fig. 2, I show another manner of'applying the bolts 10 and the bars 14. The construction of the bolts 10 and the bars 14; is exactly the same as heretofore described but in this case only one bar 14: is used at each joint, but these bars extend alternately It will be seen that with this device the adjoining ends of all four rails may be so connected together as to prevent any possibility of the track other pair of rails adjacent the joint and engaging With said bolt.

opposite end of the brace rod bein 2. A railwaytrack including two pairs of abutted rails, a brace bolt connecting one pair of rails and having a shoulder at its middle, and ajbrace rod having engagement with one of the rails of the other pair, the

g angu larly bent toward the bolt and being formed with a slotted head adaptedto embrace the bolt and abut against the shoulder.

.3. A railway track including two pairs of abutted rails, a brace bolt connecting one pair of rails and having a shoulder at its middle, and a brace rod having engagement with one of the rails of the other pair, the opposite end of the brace rod being angularly bent toward thebolt and being formed with a slotted head adapted to embrace the bolt 1 and abut against the shoulder, said brace rod at its bend being deflected to permit the intersection of the bent end of another brace rod.

4:. Means for preventing rail spreading including a bolt having a medially disposed cylindrical portion formed to provide a middle shoulder, the lateral portions of the bolt on each side of the medial cylindrical portion being elliptical in cross section, and

a brace bar having one end screw-threaded, the opposite end being bent and formed with a head having a transverse opening, with a diameter approximately equal to the diameter of the middle portion of the bolt and having a slot intersecting the opening, said slot having a width less than the diameter of the opening but slightly larger than the minor axis of the oval portion of the bolt.

5. A railway track including two pairs of abutted rails, a bolt connecting one pair of rails and engaging said railsadjacent the joints and having a shoulder at its middle, and a brace rod engaging at one end with one of the rails of the other pair of adjacent joints and at its opposite end having slidmg engagement on the bolt and normally 7 bearing against the shoulder thereon.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afi'ix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JOHN T. STOVALL. Witnesses G. B. SLoss, S. O. Snoss.

Cop iesof this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

. Washington, D. 0. 

